Cigarette lighter



Nov. 14, 1939. A. .1. EILER CIGARETTE LIGHTER Filed April 23, 1938 5 firm/1 4mm. 071/ ZMWMM Patented Nov. 14, 1939 UNTED STATES orrics 3 illaims.

This invention relates to devices for dispensing and lighting tobacco products that is more particularly adapted for use in connection with cigarettes.

A number of different types of cigarette lighting devices have been devised heretofore, but most of them have several drawbacks. In some cases the cigarettes are not so arranged in the storage chamber that a single cigarette can be dispensed with each movement of the ejecting mechanism, and in some cases the cigarettes will become jammed and will fail to dispense at all. The lighting devices produced heretofore are so arranged that smoke from the cigarette being lit can enter the storage container with the result that those cigarettes retained for future use become filled with the stale odor of the smoke from other cigarettes which have previously been lit, and their taste is naturally impaired. Other devices which might work satisfactorily are so cumbersome and intricate in their structure that they are commercially impractical.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a cigarette dispenser and lighter which is so arranged that smoke from the cigarette being lit cannot enter the storage chamber and impair the taste of those cigarettes stored for future use.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for dispensing cigarettes which will insure the ejection of only one of the articles at a time, and which is simple and cheap to manu facture.

Another object of the invention is an improved arrangement of the igniter which will light the cigarettes in a rapid and efiicient manner.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved spring retracted follower for moving the cigarette into lighting position against the igniter.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein like reference characters refer to the same or similar parts throughout the views, and, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of one embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken substantially on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken substantially on the line 33 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. i is an enlarged fragmentary section taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

The drawing illustrates a relatively long elongated and vertically positioned cigarette storage chamber 5, said chamber in horizontal section being of a shape and size to conveniently receive a cigarette of conventional dimensions. The height of the chamber is such as will accommodate a plurality of superimposed cigarettes 6, as generallyindicated in Fig. 2. The container 5 has a closely fitting removable top 1 which may be retained upon the container by sliding it laterally so that the inwardly crimped edges 8 of the cap lie beneath the rolled beads 9 on the top edge of the container.

The lower portion of the container 5 extends downwardly into a casing, indicated generally by the letter C, and the bottom of said container is open, as best shown in Fig. 2. The bottom of the container 5 is normally closed by a closure Ill, which normally lies in a horizontal position close to the bottom edges of said container. The closure at one side thereof has 21 depending tongue I I which is secured at its bottom edge to a shaft E2, the latter being mounted for rotary movement between the end walls of the casing C. Bushing I3 is rigidly secured upon one end of the shaft I?! to prevent movement of said shaft relative to the casing and the other end is reduced and journalled in the other end of the casing. At one side the shaft extends outwardly from the end of the casing and is bent at rightangles to form an operating handle M. A small lever spring I5 is secured at one end to the depending closure tongue H, and its other end bears against the bottom of the casing C, the intermediate portion of said spring passing between the tongue I l and the shaft E2. The resiliency of said spring keeps the closure element in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2. When the operating handle is moved, the closure is tilted backwardly to let the lowermost cigarette in the storage chamber 5 drop out of the bottom of said chamber. The cigarette is caught by the arcuate receivers 16 which are preferably tongues struck out from thecorners of the depending portion l of the closure member. Thus there is always proper relative positioning of the receiver and the closure when operating the dispenser.

It will be noted that the receiver elements I5 are in alignment with an electric heating element II! when a cigarette has been deposited in the receiver and the closure element released to permit its return to container closing position. The heating element is supported from a pair of threaded bolts l8 and, as best shown in Fig. 4, said heating element is spaced from the end of the casing C so that air may flow in back of the heating element to assist lighting of the cigarette. The heating element is connected by wires I 9 to a source of electrical energy, said wires being connected to the upper binding post l8 and to a binding post I8a, the latter being a ground connection.

When a cigarette is first deposited in the receiving elements [6 its end is a short distance from the heating element as shown in full lines in Fig. 4. A pin 20 is slidably mounted in the lower part of the casing C, one end being held by a small bracket 2| and the other end extending through the end wall of the casing adjacent the dispenser operating handle 14. A helical spring 22 is positioned on the rod 20 to normally maintain said rod in the full line position shown in Fig. 4. The end of the spring adjacent the bracket 2| extends downwardly to the bottom of the casing, as shown at 23, and is secured to the casing. The opposite end of the spring is secured to the rod 20. A follower element 24 is secured in an upright position to the right-hand end of the rod 28 and the torsion of the spring 22 urges the follow element constantly against the forward wall of the casing C. Thus the follower cannot rotate out of its upright position. Of course, the follower is positioned so that it will bear against the right-hand end of a cigarette in the receiver when said receiver is in the full line position shown in Fig. 2. Pressure of the rod 20 inwardly causes the follower to push the cigarette longitudinally against the igniting element [1. At the same time, the cigarette is being moved against the igniting element, the rod 20 engages a contact element 25 which is in the grounded side of the electrical circuit which is connected to the igniter ll. Thus the igniter element is only energized when the rod 20 is pressed inwardly to move a cigarette into engagement with said igniter. The rod 20 at its outer end is provided with a small notch 26 which can be engaged with the wall of the casing C when the rod is pressed inwardly to lock the rod in its inward position and the cigarette against the igniter, if desired.

An arm 21 extends rearwardly from the rear wall of the cigarette storage container 5, and to this arm is secured a rubber suction cup 28. A pair of rubber suction cups 29 are suitably secured to the rear wall of the casing C. These cups permit the device to be attached to any convenient smooth surface without marring the finish.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that I have provided a compactly arranged and relatively simply constructed cigarette dispenser and lighting mechanism which is particularly adaptable for use in a motor vehicle where the operator of the vehicle cannot conveniently search through his pockets for a package of cigarettes and then light a cigarette with a match. The positioning of the igniter element l 7 laterally of the dispensing opening of the storage container 5 prevents smoke from entering said container and consequently prevents the cigarettes from being spoiled by said smoke. Only one cigarette can be fed from the storage chamber in a single operation of the device, and the igniter operates efficiently due to its positioning away from the Wall of the casing O. The lever M for operating the dispenser and the end of the follower rod 20 are positioned conveniently adjacent each other so that the dispensing and lighting operations can be accomplished with one finger in a quick and convenient manner. Furthermore, the central cut-out B in the forward casing wall as shown in Fig. 2 permits the lighted cigarette to be conveniently grasped adjacent the center of the cigarette for removal from said casing. It should be further noted that the closure it is in its closed position during the lighting of a cigarette to further insure the fact that smoke will not enter the storage chamber 5.

I wish to make it clear that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the various parts without departing from the scope of my invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a dispensing and lighting device for cigarettes, a casing having an aperture therein, a storage chamber having a dispensing opening and a movable closure therefor, an igniting device adjacent said dispensing opening and oifset laterally from said chamber, a receiver for cigarettes dispensed through said opening, said receiver being connected to and movable with said closure and positioned for movement from a point beneath said opening to a point in alignment with said igniting device, an axially slidable spring retracted follower having an end extending through the aperture in said casing and positioned to move cigarettes in said receiver into position against said igniter, said follower being maintained in alignment with said igniter at all times, whereby cigarettes being ignited are positioned laterally of said storage chamber and its dispensing opening to prevent smoke from the cigarette from entering said storage chamber.

2. The structure in claim 1 and said follower having a notched end removably engageable with the edge oi the casing portion defining the aperture through which it extends.

3. In a dispensing and lighting device for cigarettes and the like, a casing, a storage chamber having a dispensing opening, means for receiving cigarettes singly from said storage chamber, an igniting device, said receiving means being movable to position a cigarette in axial alignment with said igniting device, a slidably supported rod in axial alignment with said igniting device and below said receiving means, an element sup ported by and extending vertically from said rod adjacent the end of said receiving means remote from said igniting device, a spring on said slidable rod normally urging the same away from said igniting device, said spring having an end in engagement with a stationary portion of said dispensing and lighting device and having its other end secured to said slidably supported rod, the vertical element on said slidably supported rod being positioned adjacent a vertical wall of said casing, and said spring being adapted to maintain said slidably supported rod and the vertically positioned element supported. thereby in such position that said vertically supported element is maintained in its vertical position against said casing wall.

ANTHONY J. EILER. 

